Arijit Nandi
If you were to ask what makes a good movie, you would probably be bombarded with answers that would, to your distress, be conflicting and abstract. Surely there wouldn’t be anything definite about them. Most parameters that are used to evaluate films are in fact subjective and neither does any unanimity exist among critics regarding the same. But this does not mean that there aren’t good films or bad films. There are cult classics and there are movies that seem discouraging from the very first minute. Unfortunately, there are innumerable films that make their way as classics but they might not necessarily be good films. A lot of classics of our current age require a thorough re-evaluation of their status. The following list talks about ten such overrated films.
10. The Prestige (2006)
This movie is misleading, I tell you. Neither is it about magic nor can it promise a decent movie-watching experience. Nolan disappoints here. The script seems to be pretentious and there are certain moments in the film that are completely uncalled for. For example, the briefing about magic in the beginning, the appearance of Nikola Tesla (David Bowie) leave a bad taste in the mouth.
9. Gladiator (2000)
If you don’t know how to make a film, make an elaborate set instead, think of an utterly predictable story, pack it up with a few melodramatic scenes and end with a death that would surely squeeze out a few tears out of your audience’s eyes. This sums up what Gladiator is all about. Maximus’ (Russel Crowe) ordeal feels like a toned down version of the same of Spartacus. So much for originality.
8. Django Unchained (2012)
A completely unpalatable dish from the house of Tarantino. Seasoned with innumerable distortions of history and a completely unnecessary verbosity the film not only derides the history of racism, the narrative also feels discontinuous and incoherent. One can’t help feeling that Django’s (Jamie Foxx) character and his exploits belittles the history of black struggle. I would recommend watching 12 Years a Slave or The Help to form an idea of what racial discrimination actually felt like. And seriously, after Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs, Django is nothing but disappointment.
7. The Departed (2006)
Who would have imagined that someone like Scorsese would end up doing something like this? When the film you’re remaking is already a cult classic you’ll have to make sure that the remake is at least comparable to the original if not as good. The screenplay is stiff and self-conscious and rarely does the film offer the original’s breathless suspense. Dear Hollywood, you might have a sh*t ton of money but there are superior filmmakers out there in the rest of the world.
6. V For Vendetta (2005)
Adapted from Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s graphic novel of the same name, the Wachowski brothers did a terrible job with the script. The cinematography, characterization and the script stink of poor execution. The Orwellian dystopia of the film isn’t even half as good as what Moore really depicted in the novel. V is nothing but a chivalric and a less garrulous ‘Deadpool’. Only that he dies in the end; to one’s utter relief I must say.
